HACT’s report ‘Promoting the Safety, Independence, and Wellbeing of Older Residents in Social Housing’ https://hact.org.uk/publications/promoting-safety/ has been published this month as part of their Age Friendly Social Housing Programme. 

TACT supported the Age Friendly Social Partnership in Southwark by offering them two free places on our level three Trusted Assessor: Assessing for Minor Adaptations course. One place was taken up by a housing association and the other by Age UK Lewisham and Southwark. Age UK’s handyperson was then able to assess for and install minor aids. The report concluded that this was one way that service delays could be overcome. 

The report covers issues highlighted with the delivery of aids and adaptations services and summarized some of the issues: 

  • long waits for occupational therapy assessments  
  •  residents unsure about who was currently dealing with their case and who to ask about progress  
  • residents unaware of what stage they were at in a complex process and how long it would take  
  • some residents were accessing the service at the point of crisis and finding the process was an additional source of stress  
  • residents had to explain their situation repeatedly to different staff on telephone lines and their needs were not always understood  
  • some people with dementia did not recall the information that had been given on the phone (to their housing provider) and did not have a written record of it  
  • residents unaware of what their responsibilities were in the process  
  • at times, breakdowns in communication occurred between housing associations and adult social care teams 

The report’s author undertook a co-creation project, and she describes several cases that illustrate the difficulties faced by residents she met. This part of the report provides valuable insights and is compelling to read. 

Also included in the report is a reference to comments made by Dr Rachel Russell, Senior Regional Advisor at Foundations who said: “Often, by the time we recommend adaptations, the process has taken so long that we don’t achieve the outcomes we’d hoped for as some people need adaptations and a care package to support them to use what has been installed. What the evidence shows us – is that when we install adaptations early, people get into the habit and routine of using the adaptations, building confidence and resilience, and delaying the need for home care support.” 

In HACT’s concluding recommendations they suggest upskilling staff as Trusted Assessors at levels three and four so that more assessments for aids and adaptations can be made in-house and referrals to OTs only made when necessary – using the ‘Adaptations without Delay’ https://www.rcot.co.uk/news/rcot-launch-adaptations-without-delay-report approach.  

The report makes seven recommendations including focusing on prevention, improving communication and efficiency, co-creating continuous improvement, planning by assessing the needs of older residents and work in-place partnerships. 

This is a valuable and timely report, you can read it here https://hact.org.uk/publications/promoting-safety/  and find out more about HACT’s wider work here https://hact.org.uk/about/